1 Year Anniversay

1 year anniversary!

One year has passed since the release of my book “Why I Run” since the release of my book my life has changed dramatically. “Why I Run” was a book that my therapist Mastora Roshan told me I should write. At that time when she suggested that I write this book I laughed it off because I thought of myself in such a bad way. I told her there was no way I could ever write anything I was a bar musician and nothing else. She told me I was so much more than that and if I wrote this book I could save my own life and change other peoples lives at the same time. I started to write and 4 years later it was released. I am more then happy to say that I have sold now over 1000 books just out of my own hands.

I have engaged in so many great conversations with so many wonderful people and I have also made some very good friends along the way. I have done talks in coffee shops, running rooms, black tie events, I will basically do speaking events anywhere I feel I can make a difference in peoples lives. I also have had a lot of help from people along the way who have given me the opportunitie to spread my message on the radio, tv, and news papers. But not only have they helped, but also the people who have purchased the book and told their friends and family members about it because they to want to help as many people as they can as well. Together we can all make a difference in peoples lives.

I was going to let this 1 year anniversary of my book pass with out giving any notice to it at all because I am never one to Brag. But in actual fact this is more of an anniversary of people helping people and not about my book at all. It is more about what has happened after the release. The people who have embraced “Why I Run “ and the way they are wanting to change , better there lives, help family members, and friends who suffer with depression. Understand more so the can help each other! Break the stigma and get people talking.

I am going to share Question 1 from my book because I feel it is such an important message. Thank you for the support of “Why I Run” and I am not even close to finished! Just wait to see what the Next Step is going to be.

“Only with open conversation can we kill the stigma behind depression, Let’s start talking and kill it together!”

Question 1: Do people take joy in doing simple things? Is it right for me to actually do something and get lost in the moment and truly enjoy myself or is it a totally selfish thing to do? Do normal people do this all the time?

The big one. I couldn't grasp the concept of just enjoying myself. After all, I ran every day and I never enjoyed myself. I played in a band, but never enjoyed myself. I played my bass, practised 4 hours a day, never enjoyed myself.

What a strange thing, actually enjoying one self. I had trained myself for so long to live for other people and not myself so even just doing anything nice for myself seemed like a selfish act. So I gave it a try. Why not?

My therapist told me to start doing something for myself. So I listened, and learned that everything takes practice, even enjoying yourself. I started going for coffee at a nice little coffee shop on the way to work. I would just sit there and think about nothing. It was so hard at first, but I got better at it and before I knew it my day just didn't feel right unless I went there either before work or at lunch.

I practised treating myself well, till it felt good. Such a small thing, just having a coffee and not thinking. Just taking joy in doing nothing. The world can wait for Darcy Patrick for once. He is having a coffee and enjoying himself!

I started watching my son. I coloured with him, played Lego with him, and learned so much from him. Children know how to get lost in the moment. Getting lost in the moment is not easy for a depressed person.

“I love playing Lego with my son.”

My son would take a Lego man and stand him on a small brick and the Lego man had a jet pack, he was flying around the room. Put that same Lego man on a bigger piece of Lego, he is surfing. Add wheels to that surf board you have a skate board. Getting lost in play with a 5 year old is priceless.....you just play, no one saying that what you’re doing is wrong. You’re just playing, having fun.

There is nothing wrong with getting lost and enjoying the moment. Small things are great to get lost in.

Stop and smell the roses, people say sometimes. I used to just laugh and think who has time for that! And I love gardening! But I never took the time to smell the roses. I would use my gardening time like I did my running time: for self-hate and loathing.

But now I was learning that it is okay to get lost. It's okay to enjoy yourself. It's okay to love the moment you are in, and I don't care what normal people do because no one is normal and now I can do whatever I want to do. Just as long as I think it is good, then, man, it is good.

Living for other people and depending on their happiness for my own happiness was a dead end street. It left me broken and battered and depressed the answer to question number 1 was, Yes. Yes to everything and that is it.